The Battle for Equality
by Leedlepickle
Summary: Much like slavery in America, Korra is a slave living in the Eastern part of the Fire Nation. Will she ever be able to go back to the South Pole to restore what's left of the Southern Water Tribe? And will Mako learn how to fight for his honor, just like his Great Grandfather once did?
1. No One Likes a Bully

The Battle for Equality

Chapter 1: No One Likes A Bully

"Korra! Get your rear end down here now young lady! You know you can't cook supper without food to prepare. I request that you take this fishing pole and catch three top-of-the-line basses. Are you trying to starve us?", an angry voice screamed into the innocent face of a seventeen year old girl. "No Master, I'm sorry to have disappointed you. I'll get the fish right away and start preparing you and Mistress Pema's meal immediately after I get back. Goodbye, Master Tenzin. I shall take no longer than a mere 20 minutes. Is there anything else Your Majesty would desire?", the girl asked quietly. "No, no silly girl. That is all. You are dismissed. And if you try to escape, you know the penalties. Do I make myself clear?", the man huffed.

"Crystal Master.", the girl replied shyly with a bow of respect before she left the  
castle. The girl entered the front hallway of the castle where a towering door and  
moat ended it. She asked the guards to open the door for her and with that, she set  
out, fishing pole and bucket in either hand. The girl went all the way to the end of a  
near by river that was also used under the moat. She set down the sorry little  
bucket on a stump that seemed to be the perfect fishing spot. Within the first 5  
minutes of being there, she had already caught one decent sized bass. The other  
two were well on their way to the bucket as well. Following the same path she had  
taken to get to the river, she arrived with the Master and Mistress's dinner. She  
again had to ask the guards to escort her through the blocked off door and made  
her way to the kitchen where her Master was waiting. "So, I see you are back. Very  
impressive timing I must say. Well, enough gibbering. It is time for you to go to  
work, girl. When you are done, you are to report to the dining hall with the prepared  
dishes and give them to the waiters who will be serving us. I a expect that this will  
not take you long seeing as you are the best chef on this side of the village. Good  
luck.", the Master said in a stern voice. "Your wish is my command, Master. I will do  
my best to be as punctual as possible. Good day.", the girl replied softly. Again, she  
did just as the Master instructed.

She grilled, boiled and cooked. You name it, she did it. She also threw in a platter of roasted turtle-duck and lion-shrimp. She delivered the dishes to the waitors who then placed them on each person's plate. Korra didn't get to eat until all the people were done eating. All she got were their left over scraps or discarded food. That was probably the most logical explanation for her ribs showing through her flesh. She was now in her makeshift bedroom, with only a "bed" made out of straw and reeds and a full length mirror, examining her body.

She was a beautiful sight with chocolate brown waves and big, beautiful blue eyes. Her face was loaded with scratches and dirt smudges from all the work she did from day to day.

Her dress and apron were about ready to fall apart with dirt stains was when she started to remember the fateful day when a Fire Nation army had burnt down her village and taken every last person captive. Then she remembered her mother dying right in front of her on the boat the new slaves were being shipped in. Her mother came down with a case known as yellow fever that spread through the boat like a wildfire. At first, it started out as just a minor case and slowly and gradually became a severe illness. It had killed more than half the people on the boat. She could feel tears welling up in her ducts. She felt abandoned, unwanted and alone. The girl cried herself to sleep, yearning for the next day to come.


	2. Not Your Life

The Battle for Equality

Chapter 2: Not Your Life

"A-a-achoo!", I sputtered out as I was dusting the Master's prized possessions. There was probably enough dust to fill up the Atlantic Ocean. Of corse there wasn't actually THAT much but it sure seemed like it. Everyday Tenzin makes me do things that he is either too lazy to do or too "busy" to do. I guess that's what you get for being a slave. Every time I read about the history of my people, it's always mesmerizing to learn about their culture and customs. I feel that I should maintain a healthy knowledge about them since they're all wiped out and everyone's forgotten about them. Everyone that is, except for me. The Fire Nation has been raiding villages for as long as I can remember, wiping away any Water Tribe or Earth Kingdom village they encounter. I remember the day that those savages burnt down my village. It was like any normal day in the barren climate of the South Pole, helping my mother do chores, water bending training with Sifu Katara and playing with the other village girls. I was having so much fun with Kanlei, my best friend and all of a sudden, black snow started falling from the skies. I had heard stories of past Fire Nation raids and how the people of the Water Tribe knew they were approaching when black snow started falling. But they would be able to flee before the Fire Nation even reached them. Of corse, we didn't turn out as fortunate. I grabbed Kanlei's hand and started running toward my hut. I was too late. When we arrived, my mother was in chains followed by 2 Fire Nation soldiers leading her out. We were next. I can still remember the pain of the cuffs digging into my wrists and ankles as the soldiers led my mother, Kanlei and I to their ship. It was a long and treacherous journey. I lost my mother, I wouldn't see my best friend ever again and I had no idea what was going to happen to me. We finally arrived at an auction ground where we were stripped down to nothing but our underwear and forced to stand on a platform where people would buy us off. The people interested in buying us would inspect us from head to toe, making sure we were healthy. I felt like property and I didn't find out until Master Tenzin and Mistress Pema bought me that I was. I felt worthless but I got over it after working for them for eleven years now because I know that I'm going to spend the rest of my life doing this against my will. When I was a little girl, I dreamt of raising a family with my crush. To be honest, I don't even remember his name or what he looked like because it was so long ago. But now my dream is to escape the castle and to be a regular Fire Nation citizen, just like when Sifu Katara told me the story of a Water Tribe women named Hanna, a blood bender. Some thought she was a witch, others thought she was processed by an evil spirit. Her nickname was "The Puppet Master." Pretty fitting for someone who controlled the every move of a person with just the flick of the wrist. That's all in the past, just like Mom's demise. I know I'm not going to let the Fire Nation shatter this dream because I have done too much planning to turn back now. In fact, I'm ready. Bring it on Tenzin. You can't keep me locked in here forever.


	3. Mako's Story

The Battle For Equality

Chapter 3: Mako's Story

"General, the cannons are loaded. We are about 5 minutes away from our destination. Would you like anything else while I'm here?" "Yes, please tell me why I had you load the cannons again, Mako?" "Well General, we're bitter enemies with the Earth Kingdom and we've wiped out the Water Tribes. So, for protection I guess." "Oh my dear boy, there is no guessing about it. You're right, we do need protection. Wouldn't want anyone to get assassinated, would we?", he blinked at the skeptical young soldier. "No General.", he responded, sighing. "Why don't ya make yourself useful and swob the deck? About time you earned your keep around here. And while yer at it, I could use a sandwich. Make it quick!", the lazy, selfish man demanded. "Yes, General", Mako said clenching his fists, about ready to firebend this lazy piece of crap off the ship. Mako was tired of being the General's servent. He was technically a soldier, but not in the General's eyes. Just because Mako was one of the new recruits, didn't mean that he was a butler. But the young man knew that if he ever talked down to the General, his life would be on the line. And, it was the only people he had to go to. His parents were killed in a Fire Nation raid. So was his little brother. Right in front of his eyes. They were a middle class family, living off the coast of the Earth Kingdom. He could've saved his family, his sanity and his country. Not once does he go to bed without thinking of that day. Just because his family suffered, doesn't mean he has to suffer. One of the reasons the General treats him so badly is because he was an Earth Kingdom refugee. Homeless and starving, only owning the clothes on his back. He tried not to smuggle, but it was the only thing he knew that would allow him to survive. Everyone in the cities he visited thought he was a dirty little criminal. But deep down, he was a misunderstood boy with a big heart. Things were different now. He's more overwhelmed than ever, traumatized and depressed. The Fire Nation scarred him, and he wants to do the same to the Fire Nation. Just like his Great Grandfather, Fire Lord Zuko, he was trying to find his honor and restore pride in his Nation. Why is he on enemy territory? Because he has a few drastic and daring tricks up his sleeve. Will the Earth Kingdom be strong enough to defeat the Fire Nation and bring back all four nations to a peaceful and harmonious world? That's what everyone was wondering. Especially Mako.


	4. The Escape

The Battle For Equality

Chapter 4: The Escape

I was ready. I had my satchel of food, my only other dress, mud boots, an atlas of the Fire Nation and my mother's locket. The plan was to wait until evening when Tenzin, Pema and the children were asleep. My only problem are the guards in the watch towers scattered across the court yard. They watch like panda-hawks to make sure none of the slaves escape. If anyone gets caught in the process, immediate death penalty. Yeah, that's how cruel Tenzin is. Well, mark your calendars so that you can experience first hand, the first slave ever to escape Tenzin's Palace. As I snuck down the left wing, I poked my head into each of the children's bedrooms to make sure no one was stirring or making any sound for that matter. The coast was clear. I quietly and quickly sprinted all the way to the staircase leading to the dining room. As I approached the staircase, I put my butt on the railing and slid down. It reminded me of my childhood, when Kanlei and I snuck into Cheif Sokka's hut and slid down the staircase leading to his and Lady Suki's bedroom. Of corse we would wake them up, but they were too fun to tell our mothers. Then, Suki would fix each of us a cup of her famous hot coco and talk by the fire pit. Sokka and Suki never had children of their own and were more than delighted to share their home with us. They were very good friends with our mothers. Memories, memories. Now, I was downstairs in the hallway leading to the palace doors. The idiot guards must have been on a break because no one was guarding them. I easily slid through the doors and made my way over the mote. All I had to do now was somehow sneak my way through the court yard undetected or my head will be detached from body by the guillotine. I hate that thing, always gave me the sceevies! Before making any rash movements, I counted the number of guard towers on each side. On the right side of the court yard, four. On the left side, six. Tenzin really needs to learn how to count better. Then I thought about possible strategies for getting through this "obstacle corse." There's always the duck and run method, no, too obvious. How about creating a distraction? Nope, that requires another person. Running straight through without stopping? Dangerous, but tempting. It looks like I have no other choice. And if someone gets in my way, I'll just use waterbending to knock them on their asses. I'll need to get rid of the skirt on this dress so I won't trip. *rip* There we go. Ready...Set...Gulp...GO! I rocketed off as fast as I could past three bushes and immediately started to become a moving bull's eye. Five spears were thrown in my direction and I dodged each one. Followed by that, guards started charging at me from all directions and firebent at my feet to try to make me fall. I gathered water from the immense fountain in the center and created a temporary shield to hold off the fire. Didn't get hurt yet. I was almost to the end when a mysterious, tall figure jumped in front of me and chi-blocked me. I was on the ground with someone's knee in my back. I could feel intense pain as it dug into my spine, almost dislodging it. Then, out of nowhere, a strange white beast took the person that tackled me and threw him to the ground. It was my turn, it picked me up but I had other plans for it. I took my free hand and slapped the vermin on the snout. This made it squeal in pain, dropping me. I quickly staggered to my feet and jumped on its back. The thing started dashing out of the court yard, running over everything in its path, like a tornado does to its victims.

-30 minutes of continuous riding later-

It was probably around midnight when we stopped at an old shack. Far away, it looked like an abandoned home. As we got closer, I noticed a sign hanging above the door that read 'Auntie Katya's Gift Shop, All Travelers Welcome.' This would be the perfect time to stop and ask for directions because in all honesty I had no idea in hell where I was going. "Hello?", I asked while opening the creeky door. The first thing I saw was a little old woman standing behind a counter. "Why, hello my dearie! I do declare that you must come in at once. Do not be shy around me, for I'm just a mere hag. Sit, sit!", she gestured over to a chair that looked at least 10 years old considering all the stains and tears it had. But I really don't care at this point, my dress is a train wreck from all the dodging and attacking I did. "Thank you, Ms.?", I trailed off to let her finish my sentence. "Oh, how rude of me. My name is Ms. Aiko. Kaitaya Aiko to be exact. Just call me Katya. And you are?", she replied casually. I was beyond mesmerized. "Did you say Kaitaya?", I asked like a clueless 3 year old. " Yes, I am certain I said Kaitaya. Is there something wrong, sugar?", she asked worriedly. "It's just that where I was from, there was a girl named Kanlei Aiko with a mother that has your exact name.", I responded sheepishly. The woman's concerned expression turned into a more relieved and surprised one. "Korra? Is that you? Oh my spirits, it's been so long! Look it how big you've gotten! You have developed into quite the young lady." " I knew it was you ! How is Kanlei? And Ryu?" Her face changed expressions yet again, a saddened one dominating her face this time. "Well, the truth is, I have been long since widowed, Ryu died in the war and as for Kanlei, she was captured by those awful Fire Nation raiders not too long after you were captured. I was captured along with her and we were purchased by different people. I haven't seen her since. I was one of the lucky ones to have escaped from my owner and every night I pray to the spirits to salvage her soul so I can see her sweet little face again. You don't know what it's like to have someone you love so much being separated from you forever. Spirits knows where she is. Oh Korra, it's unbearable being left in a barren landscape like this! You must stay and help me find my beloved Kanlei!", started to cry hysterically and pulled me in for a long, painful hug. I hugged her back letting her know how much I felt for her and wanted her to know that she wasn't the only one feeling like that. That horrible, sickening feeling. Ugh."It's going to be alright, . I know Kanlei's out there somewhere, I know she's trying her hardest to find you. Never lose hope. Especially on a family member. It all ties up to one very important moral that my mother taught me a good ten years ago and to this day I still remember, never leave someone behind. And you will not, I promise. Because even when you two are separated, you are never far away enough to break the special bond you share with her. That is, the bond between mother and daughter. Now, I must leave. Good day, and good luck. I have a long journey ahead of me.", I let her out of my grip and she looked at me, deep in thought. I left before she could say anything else. Besides, I have pressing matters to tend to. Like say, KICKING THE FIRE NATION'S ASS!


End file.
